


Jõtaider Gekijouban - Lessons

by ForbiddenArchive



Series: Jõtaider [11]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Atlas Corp, Brainwashing, Corruption, Latex, Tokusatsu Themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:47:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27865578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForbiddenArchive/pseuds/ForbiddenArchive
Summary: The past of a troubled woman, when her eyes were still full of hope.
Series: Jõtaider [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1531379
Kudos: 1





	Jõtaider Gekijouban - Lessons

**Author's Note:**

> Part 1 of a little 'movie'-type prequel for the main series~

Today was going to be a very special day, for a very special young woman. She had done everything she ever could to get this far in life, and it was finally going to pay off. Her many hours of studying into the night had meant that she didn’t pay a lot of attention to her social life, almost becoming a bit of a recluse outside of class participation. Just for a chance to progress into a life that would be even better than that one.

She yawned as she slowly rose out of her bed, stretching as her long black locks flopped against her body. No matter how much she cleaned them the night before, they were always so greasy when she woke up. Something that she blamed on how restless of a sleeper she was. Whenever she had a fun dream, she couldn’t stop herself from rolling back and forth with utter glee.

The young black-haired woman rubbed her eyes as she walked into her bathroom, blinking as she examined herself in the mirror. She had seen much better days, as the bags hung under her eyes. They hadn’t gone away since the last study session she went through, and if it had been any other day she would’ve just let them stay. But today, no way! She had to get rid of them quickly.

She grabbed all the makeup that she needed to hide away her imperfections, applying them carefully. Thanks to her precise planning, she had more than enough time before she’d have to show up. So she could just apply this stuff, rub it in, rinse a bit of the stuff that she didn’t like out, and then continue on. After a few repetitions to ensure that the bags had been fully covered by the makeup, she moved on to her hair, brushing it with fine movements…

Right up until she heard the clock ring loudly from the side of her bed. She knew exactly what that meant. She was starting to run out of time. But how? She had only just woken up, and she had made sure that her natural sleep schedule didn’t overlap with… 

...What time was it exactly?

“Oh, I’m not late, right?” The black-haired woman muttered to herself as she peeked out the bathroom, still using one of her hands to brush her hair. She used her farsighted eyes to gleam the time off the electronic clock, only for her heart to sink.

It was 7:50. Orientation started at 8:15, and she had 20 minutes worth of travel to get to her destination. She was screwed seven ways from Sunday. How was she going to make it in time!?

She quickly finished doing her hair, leaping into her bedroom as she threw open her closet. Instead of taking her time like she had planned, the clothes just flew on in a matter of seconds, dressing her up with a white jacket, a red dress suit underneath, and a matching pencil skirt. Once all of that was snugly clinging to her form, she headed straight for the door to her apartment…

Instead of sprinting out, she took a moment to look herself in the mirror yet again. Everything on her face seemed right, she adjusted the parts of her outfit that seemed a little off, and made sure that she wore her best heels, even if she hadn’t adjusted to them quite yet. Once she was sure of everything, she gave herself a bright smile, heading out the door and locking it behind her…

Her name was Hiro Fukano. And today was the day that she’d start her long and prosperous employment at Atlas Corporation.

\---

Getting to the big building that had cropped up in the middle of Mimoto in a matter of a year wasn’t hard, a lot of the busses skirted straight past it. What was more troublesome was actually getting inside, as there was a massive line waiting in front of the building. Were… Were all these new employees, or did she miss a brand new announcement? She couldn’t tell.

“Excuse me!” Hiro cried out, having tied her beautiful black hair into a ponytail before she left her apartment. “D-Does anybody know where orientation is?” She asked, a worried blush on her bright and friendly cheeks.

Nobody answered her panic-filled question, preferring to strongarm their way closer to the entrance. All except for one, a white-haired woman around her own age, at least that’s what she seemed to be at a glance.

“Over here, I’ll help you get inside.” The stranger said, holding out a hand that the black-haired youth quickly grabbed. “I can’t believe I’m not the only unlucky one, I almost overslept and then I see you…”

Hiro sighed upon hearing that. “I didn’t oversleep, at least not that much. I just… I just live on the outskirts of town. I don’t have a lot of cash to spend, so I have to make sure that every time I go in here, I don’t waste any.” She explained, before looking down at her red heels with a bit of regret in her eyes. Thanks to her need to hurry along, the heels themselves had seen much better days. 

“If you say so. What’s your name?” The strange woman said, a smile on her face. “Oh, no, wait, I should give mine first. I’m Rena Kazumi. I’m actually starting today too, in the Biotech department. What about you?”

The less self-secured of the two paused, before looking away from the white-haired woman’s tenderly crimson eyes. “I’m… Hiro Fukano. P-Pleased to meet you, Kazumi.” She muttered under her breath, unable to really give another person a straight look in the eye… Especially after having properly introduced herself to them. Just a part of the skills that she had neglected in the pursuit for this position.

“Pleased to meet you too, Hiro. You don’t need to be that formal around me, especially after I help you out like…” Rena started explaining as the two suddenly sunk into the ground, the masses around them not noticing it for even a second. “This!”

Hiro yelped as suddenly everything inverted, the two finding themselves in what was like a dark reflection of the real world. “W-W-What’d you do?!” She practically screamed, her heart pounding against her chest… While her hand couldn’t pry itself out of her new friend’s hand, too terrified to let go.

“Oh, you’ve never seen a Monster Ability before?” The white-haired woman asked, and the less confident of the two quickly shook her head around. “Aha, well, when you start working here, you should meet plenty of Monsters. We’ve all got a few special tricks up our sleeve, and as long as you keep note of them, you won’t be scared!”

The black-haired woman could feel a bead of sweat dripping down the side of her head. “E-Easy enough for you to say, I didn’t even know that Monsters really existed. I thought all those stories that I had to learn in school were just that, stories…” She muttered, unintentionally getting closer to her new friend. “S-So, what’s yours even supposed to do? Just make everything really dark?”

“It’s supposed to make travel and storage a lot easier, actually.” Rena explained as she lifted her new friend into her arms without even a moment’s hesitation, causing the latter to cling to her out of pure instinct. Which in turn made the white-haired woman smile and laugh a little, surprised at how quickly her friend turned from being shy to actively clinging to her, even if there was no real affection in that cling.

Hiro kept quiet as she was being carried through the darkness, the white-haired woman pushing aside all the obstacles in their way. Or rather, they just disappeared as soon as she made contact with them. Whether it was the humanoid figures or the actual walls themselves, nothing was able to stop her. It was… Well, if she actually had a moment to breathe and gather her thoughts so she could take all of this in, she would’ve no doubt considered this some form of extremely impressive.

Once they made it inside, the white-haired woman’s eyes flashed causing the crimson color to consume both of them, sending them straight back into the realm that they had once occupied. And with that, they were inside the Atlas Corp building, no worse for wear and far further ahead than when they were just standing in line…

“So, how was it? Your first exposure to a Monster Ability, and it gets you a lift inside?” Rena chimed as she rubbed the back of her head, after letting the woman down from her arms. She was maybe a little too proud of her relatively simple if visually astonishing power, evident with how much confidence beamed off her expression.

Hiro stared at her for a few seconds before nodding and smiling back. “It… Well, I would call it some amount of terrifying, but it was really helpful. Thank you, Ka… Rena.” She paused in the middle of being awfully rude before blushing and bowing before her new friend. “I hope to see you again, now that we’re going to be coworkers!”

“That’s the spirit, Hiro! I look forward to seeing you around too, especially if you have tasks in Biotech. Anyway, you should hurry! The ceremony for all the general newcomers is starting, and if you’re late they’re going to punish you! I heard from the other new guys that one of them had missed the deadline by a second, and… Well, they don’t wanna talk about what happened after that. Just hurry, okay?” The crimson-eyed woman explained, turning around as she headed off a different path, needing to get back to her own orientation.

It didn’t take much for the black-haired young woman to get back into gear, power-walking in the direction of the conference hall. “What a nice lady…” She muttered to herself, instinctively rubbing her cheek as a red blush colored its way onto them. She really did want to see her again, preferably with none of the surprising attributes and sudden powers being used…

She didn’t have much time to dwell on the beauty and the helpful nature of the other lady though, because she still had an orientation to get to. And she REALLY didn’t want to risk getting hit by that punishment!

Hopefully she wasn’t going to be late…

\---

Judging by all the noise in the conference room when Hiro slipped on inside, she had made it. Not in the best of time, but she wasn’t late! That was what mattered. Even… even if there was so much sound that she couldn’t hear herself think. That part kinda sucked.

“I remember why I never went to prom…” The inexperienced woman muttered to herself as she looked over the sprawling crowd, surprised to see triple digits worth of people stuffed inside such a seemingly small room, and equally surprised to see everyone getting employment at the very same workplace. Were she going to work alongside Rena and… All of these other people? How many tasks did Atlas Corp even have to deal out?

As she started to dwell on that, the lights in the room went out, leading a lot of the common rabble to start making disgruntled and worried sounds. But that all stopped once a light shone on the stage in the back of the room, where a single woman stood still, letting the brightness wash over her and gather everyone’s eyes towards her.

She was… well, she was beautiful in a dignified manner. She wore a white suit that most would only see men wear, considering it was the full shirt and jeans set, while wearing a garishly golden dress shirt underneath. On top of that, her golden hair, tied into a neat and very fine braid, was reaching below and behind one of her shoulders, the exotic nature of the braid leading many of the new workers to stare straight at her out of sheer curiosity…

“Welcome, one and all, to Atlas Corp. You’ve all performed exceptionally well to get this far in your life, ending up in the eyes of our President as he handpicked each and every one of you to join his Family.” The woman explained, clearing her throat for a second before keeping up that powerful and wide-addressing tone of hers. “I trust that you all will perform better than expected. Everything may be rough to start, but I as well as the rest of the senior staff believe that you can all fit in, as long as you put your heart into it.”

The room was quickly filled with clapping in response to her earnest trust in them, though there were a few that didn’t seem to be that into what she was selling. They had their insecurities, and her golden gaze felt invasive, no matter how supportive her words were.

Hiro wasn’t pleased by this effect of the older woman’s voice either, but she couldn’t really consider her good at anything specific either. She’d try her best for sure, but was she really going to fit in? Especially considering the encounter with Rena moments ago...

“I’m glad you all agree. Now then, my name is Haruhi Kaneko. I serve as one of the President’s direct subordinates, the only ones beyond the Four Heads that are allowed to speak freely with him. As long as I draw breath, you will all answer to me if you have any inquiries or issues. It is my duty as your superior to ensure that you get the education that you need for your various positions, and if you mess up, that too will be my responsibility.” The woman on the stage, now having introduced herself, straightened her tie and adjusted her stance to seem a little more casual. “Not to worry. I will ensure the safety and the proper treatment of all of you. As long as you don’t cause any problems, whether for your coworkers or your superiors.”

The crowd clapped in response, the youthful new employee doing just the same. Now that everyone properly joined in, their safety secured under the golden-haired woman’s gaze, there was no reason to not join in. Conforming to what everyone else did was the right way forward, she knew that much from High School. She didn’t get bullied if she just shut up and did as she was told, unlike others she had once seen…

“Excellent. Now, I will begin drawing numbers from this list I’ve pre-prepared. Once you hear your number, come up to the stage and receive your Atlas Corp pin. This pin will grant you access to all the facilities that your new position entitles you to, and a relevant trainer will help you figure out if you should stay in general use or specialize into one of our four main departments.” Haruhi explained as she pulled out a simple looking phone from her suit pocket, flicking through the contents as she started prattling off numbers…

The numbers kept counting down, and the other newbies left the room one by one. And yet no matter how many numbers were called, Hiro never heard her own. In fact, did… did she ever get a number? Wait, was she even in the right hall? Oh, oh no, oh no no no…

Once there were no other employees left in the hall, it was just the golden haired subordinate, and the brand new employee with her beautiful blackened locks. The same locks that reflected the despair that was very carefully inching its way into her heart…

“...Hiro Fukano, I believe.” Haruhi said, the light shining upon her as she walked off the stage and down towards the white-suited woman who couldn’t figure out why she hadn’t been called upon before now. “Why did you meet today? Your orientation was supposed to tomorrow.”

...Ah. She had just misread her date and was incredibly early instead of incredibly late. Well… That was a relief. Then she could just… breathe instead of feeling like the world itself was coming down on her.

“I… I thought it was today, Kaneko-sensei.” Hiro explained, bowing down as she apologized. “I hope I haven’t been causing any disruptions by being here, that would hurt me…”

Haruhi gave the young woman a good few glances, straightening her tie as her golden eyes gleamed. “You weren’t disturbing anybody, though I did notice your adversity towards noise. Tell me, have you ever considered that you would be in situations like the one presented before you today? Where you were in danger of being afflicted by several volume-based damages? These are surprisingly common in this line of work, and I wouldn’t want to let down the President by hiring somebody that isn’t in adequate physical condition.”

“I can handle all of that, especially if I get a chance to breathe before the meeting!” The black-haired woman shouted in protest, her heart beating loud enough that it could be heard. “If… If I knew that I was supposed to meet tomorrow instead of today, I would’ve been much more prepared. Please, don’t turn me away. I’ve been trying my best to get here, and… I really want to make people happy with my service.”

This caused the impressive woman to raise an eyebrow, though only for a moment. “I can feel your conviction, Fukano. Don’t worry. The only reason I asked, was to make sure that I should go through the trouble of arranging your employment today. However…” She gave her a sign of relief, while also making her worry a bit more. “...The only person that could teach you the ropes, at least for the day, is somebody that I wouldn’t trust with any kind of secret. Are you absolutely sure that you want to go through with this? If not, I recommend coming back tomorrow.”

“Even if you don’t think they may be worth much, they still work here, don’t they? They have to be a person worth looking up to, just like you, Kaneko-sensei!” Hiro quickly shot back, not willing to give up when she was this close to fulfilling her dream. “Please, Kaneko-sensei. I’ll try anything…”

Haruhi let out a deep, frustrated sigh, before yanking on her tie instead of straightening it, her cheeks flushing a little red in the process. “If you say so. I’ll lead you to her, just be warned that she has a certain kind of personality…” She explained briefly, before taking the young woman’s hand and guiding her out of the conference hall.

To say that she was making an understatement was, in and of itself, an understatement...

\---

“S-So… What kind of person is she, Kaneko-sensei?” Hiro asked as they approached a lone room after having gone up several flights of stairs, a bit of sweat running down the side of her face. Her heels, already in rough condition from the run earlier, were now on the verge of breaking. She didn’t have the elegance nor the ability to keep a consistent gait, which mean that every step kept wearing away at them…

Haruhi thought for a moment as the glare of the lights above cast a shadow upon her, covering her golden eyes. “She’s a troublemaker. A lousy excuse for a coworker, and somebody that owes me at least a dozen favors for covering her ass.” Her words were a bit more honest than when she was presenting on the stage, leading them to cut away at the image of her coworker. “...And yet I can only call her reliable, because she pulls through when others need it most.” She muttered under her breath, hiding her true opinion of the woman as she knocked on a seemingly unassuming door.

“Tsurugi.” The older woman’s voice grew even more razor sharp, her entire face framed in shadow as she turned away from the light. “Open up this door this very instant, or the next paycheck that comes through this door will not amount to much more than pennies.” Every word was heavy enough to break the floor below her, so much so that the black-haired woman could feel her body trembling…

Right up until the door actually opened, revealing a very relaxed expression peering through the crack. “You don’t have the authority to do that, even if you wanted to, Haruhi-chan.” The woman, still fairly aged given her intonation though nowhere near as dangerously sounding as her coworker, spoke directly at the golden-haired woman. “So, what’s up? Why’ve you come by to disturb my afternoon nap?”

“The same reason you often come to disturb my accounting.” Haruhi shot back, not letting up the offense. “One of your favors, the ones that keep your ass from being thrown out of the boss’ penthouse? I would like to cash it in.” She explained, opening the door further so that her ‘associate’ could see the younger woman at her side. “Given your interests, I think you’ll be able to help out.”

Hiro quickly bowed before her senior. “I am Hiro Fukano, I’m… I’m supposed to start tomorrow, but Kaneko-sensei allowed me to start early with you as my teacher. I-I Hope that’s okay, Sensei…” She still sounded as nervous as ever, despite the warmth that actively radiated off the woman in front of her.

“That’s a cutie, Haruhi-chan. How’d you get her wrapped up in all this mess?” The older employee asked, prompting the braided employee to just shrug her shoulders. “You haven’t asked? What a cruel woman you are, not looking into your new staff’s background.” She sighed, rubbing away at the back of her head before clearing her throat.

She pushed open the door a little more, giving the black-haired woman a better look at her. Unlike every single other employee in the building, she skipped the formal suit top and replaced it with a pair of overalls over a silvery pinstriped shirt, which fit perfectly with the pants that she wore as well. It gave her such an… Ordinary feel compared to the golden-haired woman.

It wasn’t just her attire that made her look so much warmer compared to everyone else. It was her hair and the look in her eyes too. Her silver-shaded hair wasn’t wild, yet it wasn’t totally neat either. It was brushed in such a way that it reached down to her shoulders and looked mostly folded together, but there was just one little strand that stuck up so powerfully that it was actually silly. Just like the smile on her face, bright and welcoming despite everything that the golden-haired woman had talked about at the orientation meeting. It was beaming with happiness to go along with the hopeful look in her eyes, such an utterly perplexing combination…

“Happy to meet you, Hiro-chan. I’m Tsukiko Tsurugi, and I’m… Let’s just consider me a handywoman, okay? That’s at least what I try to consider myself when I do odd jobs around the entire building. Whether they want my help or not!” The silver-haired woman introduced herself, laughing a little as the single strand of idiotic hair atop her head stood erect, acting as an exclaimation to go with her loud and happy voice.

The black-haired woman nodded as she bowed down once more. “Thank you for having me, Tsurugi-sens-” Before she finished her sentence, she felt the flat of the woman’s hand on her head, ruffling its way through her locks. “W-Wh..? What are you..?”

“No need for the formal stuff, Hiro-chan. A cutie like you just has to take things at their own pace. Just think of me as Tsukiko, and Haruhi as a dumb idiot who can’t count her own paycheck unless I come fix her abacus.” Tsukiko chimed, ignoring the daggers that her golden-haired friend glared at her. “Got that?”

Hiro blinked a couple of times before shaking her head, smiling a little despite the strange statement she just heard. “If you want me to stop calling you Sensei, Tsurugi-sensei… It’d be impossible. I treat those that should be respected with the utmost amount.” She explained, bowing one more time to apologize.

“Man, you really know how to pick them, huh, Haruhi-chan?” The silver-haired woman said, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked at her golden friend. “So, just train her? Is that it? Nothing else? Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me.”

Haruhi could feel her blood boiling every time she looked at her associate, reaching for her tie with a shaky hand. Only to stuff her hand into her pocket, before she did something that she’d regret. “I hope you take this seriously, Tsurugi. I will write to the President should you fail this, and believe me, he does not tolerate shenanigans when you could be educating his latest potential shining star.” She warned, before she turned towards the black-haired woman that she had strung along. “Fukano. I warned you about her previously, but I have to ask you again. You are absolutely sure that this is the path you want to take?”

“Absolutely, Kaneko-sensei. She may not seem bright or that inspirational, but I’m sure I can learn enough from her. Even if it’s what I have to avoid.” Hiro explained very honestly, the silver-haired woman twitching a little with every comment seemingly directed towards her in an attempt to harm her… “Thank you again.”

The golden-haired woman nodded as she turned away from both. “Then I bid you farewell. I will come around tomorrow to see how you’ve done, Tsurugi, and if I find that you’ve messed around for the entire day and utterly failed at teaching her even a single good thing about Atlas Corp, your head will roll.” The threat seemed real, as her glare managed to cut a few strands of hair off the idiot employee’s head…

“She’s something alright. Never lets up, always hands out false threats that she thinks sound so cool and foreboding, when she’s really nothing more than a paper tiger. It’s actually really cute when you think about it.” Tsukiko chimed, her ahoge growing wavy as she sighed with relief. “Still, she didn’t kill me, so that’s a plus!”

Hiro looked at the departing woman for a few seconds before looking up at her new sensei, clearing her throat for a second. “Are… Are you two always like this, Tsurugi-sensei?”

“Always. Have been ever since we started working here. I wanted to be nice and help her out, she jammed her heel through my foot and used her Monster Ability to make sure it pierced through. That thing hurt for a week straight, and she didn’t even say sorry after it got healed!” The silver-haired woman laughed, rubbing away at the back of her head. “She’s warmed up since then. Now she only threatens to do it instead of actually doing it!”

The black-haired woman could feel the sweat running down the side of her head. What kind of company had she just gotten employed at? Everything she was taught about in school said that it was the best place to end up at, yet one of her seniors was some sort of sociopath given what the other told her, and that other senior was… a fool, to say the least. Of course, after having to cope with that knowledge, she realized what had just been said. “M-Monster Ability? She’s a Monster?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe. Never asked her what kind, since that first impression kinda soured our relationship.” Tsukiko continued, before closing the door to her office and stretching a little… “Here, how about I take you out for a bit of coffee, tell you what kinda plans I’ve got for the two of us? Maybe you can come up with a good one and we can decide where we’d like to go for the day?” She sounded so carefree, not even bothered by the threat that had been raised at her earlier.

Hiro blinked a few times as the silver-haired woman started walking away, quickly shuffling after her so that she wouldn’t be left behind. “B-But Kaneko-sensei said she’d punish you if you didn’t teach me anything! You… You’d really risk that?”

“She’s into it, I’m sure she’d stop if I got close to being fatally injured.” Her new senior replied, grinning as she turned her head around. “Besides, not your problem, is it? If I don’t teach you, she’ll probably pick up the slack.” It really sounded like she didn’t take responsibility for anything, yet at the same time… there was an air of care hovering around her words? Was this her abstract way of showing that she could be trusted..?

The younger woman couldn’t know for sure, even as they continued down the hall. So instead of questioning it, she’d just stick to her and hope for the best. They still had such a long day ahead of them too, there was a lot of stuff that could still go right…

\---

After the first bit of coffee, they found themselves in the Biotech part of the building, looking in through the various panes of glass that allowed spectators to view the process of putting together the company’s products. Whether they were actually made from electronic components of biological ones.

“So, Hiro-chan.” Tsukiko spoke up as she sipped on her coffee, leaning up against the glass as the noise of experiments rung out behind her. “Where are you thinking of working? If I remember what I read in that dumb manual, today should be where the general use workers get introduced to their jobs? You just wanna go everywhere and see if anything strikes your fancy?”

Hiro thought to herself a bit as she held a much more cozy cup of hot cocoa, looking into the workings of the machines and scientists behind the glass. “I… I’m not actually sure.” She answered, looking into the warm chocolate in her cup. “I’ve been getting high grades for a long time, but all of those subjects both interested me in specific ways and bored me otherwise. I wouldn’t be able to tell you if I’m a better generalist, or if I was suited for a role that had all of those things.

“Indecisive, huh?” The older woman replied as she took a sip, grinning. “That sounds about right. I picked this position after I went back and forth between departments, annoying the heck out of all four of my bosses. Maybe you just need to try a bit of everything and then decide from there?” She chimed, downing the rest of the coffee as she turned towards the glass, only for her brows to grow narrow. “Aw, heck. They’re doing a bunch of nonsense in there again.”

The shorter of the two women blinked a couple of times as she stepped closer to the glass, noticing a familiar-looking white-haired woman feeding several cans worth of something energized to another scientist, while a blue-scaled draconic woman took notes. “What do you mean? It just looks a little… weird?”

“Weird, yeah. That’s what it’s like whenever they test products. Y’know, just a few weeks back, Haruhi-chan wanted to try and see if she could get one up on me.” Tsukiko started talking as she pulled a picture out of her shirt pocket, showing a completely different version of her, one with fluffy fur that seemed way too soft to avoid touching. To the point where the younger woman immediately put her fingers on the picture, prompting the silver-haired senior to laugh. “Yeah! Just like that. She transformed me into a kitty, and then she started ruffling me for hours upon hours. Never did hear back if she actually got the data she needed…”

Hiro blushed a little as she pulled back, surprised that somebody could be transformed so casually yet treat it with just another thing in their daily life. Her eyes darted back towards the glass, blushing further as she noticed that the worker that had been forcefed energized drinks now looked like they were absolutely out of it, their breasts enormous and their expression completely full of bliss… “T-This is… Q-Quite the department…”

“Mmhm. So, I don’t think I need to tell you to avoid drinking the energy drinks they offer you. Bad stuff, wouldn’t recommend. Sure, it makes you a lot stronger and keeps your endurance up, but it trades all of the good stuff for a good few hours of complete brainlessness.” The silver-haired woman said as she stretched her hands behind her head, already walking off towards another department. “Try and keep up!”

The younger woman wished today wasn’t as weird as it had gotten, but… At least she was getting a bit more comfortable around her senior. That was always a plus.

\---

...No, actually, this was the worst day she had ever experienced. No way. No, she wasn’t going to do this.

“Come on, Hiro-chan! It’s not that bad, it actually fits your body really well!” Tsukiko chimed, giggling a little as she looked at the mirror that reflected the girl’s petite form and adorable expression, as well as the absolutely absurd outfit that she wore…

Hiro refused. She couldn’t take this humiliation. Not even for a second! There was no way in hell she was going to show herself to the general public, much less her fellow workers, in an outfit that was as frilly as this, as utterly garish and as completely… completely…

...Completely and utterly adorable… It was something that she had been waiting to try for so long, but she completely forgot all about it because of her intense studying sessions. And now, of all times, did she have to go and try it without even having a chance to gather her thoughts?

The young woman was shivering from top to bottom as she was clad in a very delicate looking dress, one that had more frills and transparent bits than was necessary. The skirt was big and puffy, and the color combination stood out thanks to the bright pastel palette. It was the kind of outfit that fit in some sort of fictional world, not reality!

“You know, that’s a classic. Shining Ace’s uniform, from that old series way back when? I heard they were planning on rebooting it with a darker and edgier protagonist that eventually got to reach that level of purity, but I don’t think it ever panned out.” Tsukiko mused to herself, ignoring the clear level of discomfort and excitement on her subordinate’s face. “Still, to see this thrown out all callously… Yeah, Lady Suzaku’s a real bitch when it comes to perfection, but I didn’t think she’d go this far.”

Hiro remained quiet for a bit, her heart racing with all sorts of emotions. On one hand, there was that feeling of being utterly humiliated because she got used as a porcelain doll, where she just kinda had to wear the outfit whether or not she had a say in it. But on the other hand, she really did appreciate the outfit! It was the outfit belonging to one of her childhood favorite series, and… She really wanted to do the special move in this outfit too…

“What’s with the long face, Hiro-chan?” The older woman asked, causing her subordinate to shiver all across the place as she stammered and stuttered, unable to find the right words to use. Which meant that it was easy to read exactly what her issue was, since it was written on her face. “Aha, you’re actually super excited to have this outfit, aren’t you? Yeah, I’d be too. I would personally go for somebody a bit more rough, like… Club Ace? Was that her name? Big fists, no nonsense, go straight for friendship through her muscles. Yeah, that’s the kinda gal I’d try and look like.”

The black-haired girl could feel her soul leaving her as she was called out, her expression turning all-too-happy as her face turned completely pale. And not a second later, she fell over, collapsing against the plush wall of the little dressing room that she had been whisked into, leaving her completely and emotionally deprived for the next little while.

“Ah, to be young again. Oh well, let’s get you back up, see if I can’t find you something…” Tsukiko paused as she was the one that began to blush, realizing that she’d have to properly undress the girl this time instead of just throwing the clothes to her and hoping that everything would work out. And since she wasn’t exactly the most careful kind of woman, she was no doubt going to accidentally brush her hand against something soft, or worse, something wet...

The shoe was on the other foot, as the older of the two women experienced the kind of shame her subordinate just went through…

\---

“TSURUGI! WHERE’S MY COFFEE!?”

Not even two seconds after Hiro and her superior walked into the IT division’s main office, a disgruntled looking girl with a grey suit, who was even shorter than the black-haired woman, stomped her way towards the two, an obvious and bushy tiger tail wrapped around her waist. It seemed like she knew the silver-haired woman, and was definitely louder than the golden-haired one from earlier…

“What, I didn’t hear anything about bringing you coffee. Are you imagining things again, Byakko-chan?” Tsukiko chimed, her total height equaling three extra heads compared to the girl in front of her. “Last I remember, you were the one who owed me a cuppa when I came around.”

The girl named Byakko was steaming from both ears as she brandished claws from her fingertips. “I will shred your insides if you dare bring that up! Our agreement was that you forgot that entirely, and I would get my coffee ON TIME!” The grey-haired girl shouted very loudly, ignoring the presence of the new girl entirely…

“Nah, that’s not how deals go. I don’t remember what you’re talking about.” The silver-haired woman replied, her ahoge blown back a bit from the force of the scream. “Tell you what, I do have something for ya. Something that’ll make you look better. You’re a real piece of work whenever you’re angry.”

Byakko twitched and winced as the taller woman continued talking down to her like she was a child, only for her eyes to focus on a bottle full of milk being dangled right above her head. “That’s-”

“Here, Hiro-chan. Hold this and make sure she doesn’t get it.” Tsukiko chimed as she lobbed the bottle to her junior, who quickly grabbed it and kept her hands tightly packed around it, while her senior wisely stepped away from her…

Because the suit-clad kitten of a tiger quickly aggressed on the young trainee, causing her to yelp in surprise as she backed away. “S-She’s intimidating, Tsurugi-sensei!” She whined as she couldn’t find a way to escape. The killing intent on the girl’s face being far too much for her to handle.

“The longer you keep it from her, the nicer she’ll be when she finally gets it.” The silver-haired senior laughed a little as she gave that sage-styled advice, all while her subordinate panicked more and more. “Besides, this is how she usually gets. All grumpy and moody because she doesn’t get her milk.”

Hiro listened to all of that, looking into the maw of the beast in front of her as she shook all over before closing her eyes. She… She couldn’t do what her senior told her. If she did, then she’d be torn to shreds. And more than that, depriving somebody that was clearly thirsty of a drink… no, that wasn’t the kind of woman that she was. 

Just as Byakko was about to swing her claws at the black-haired woman, she held out the bottle with her palms wide open. “H-Here, you don’t need to try and hurt me. It’s yours, you need it.” She said with the softest voice that she possibly could, smiling despite how much she shook all over. 

The grey-haired kitten grabbed it and popped the cap off, slurping and sipping and licking as much of it into her mouth as she could, before slowing down as it reached the halfway point. Color and calm returned to her face as she covered it up with another cap that she had handy, clearing her throat as she pocketed the milk.

“You.” The shortest of the three pointed one of her clawed fingers at the black-haired newcomer. “What’s your name?” She asked, her voice heavy and intimidating still. She wasn’t about to let her guard down just because she was treated kindly.

Hiro gulped and bowed appropriately. “Hiro Fukano, M-Ma’am!” Sweat quickly ran down her face, hoping that she hadn’t done enough to piss her off. She didn’t know who the kitten was, but… she was still very dangerous. And disrespecting those that could maim her was a recipe for disaster.

“I’ll remember that name. Now, chin up.” Byakko said, smirking a bit as she looked straight into the woman’s eyes once she raised herself back up. “You know how to follow orders, but when to disobey them too. You don’t know how valuable that kind of skill is.”

Tsukiko laughed as she stepped back over, putting a hand on the dramatically shorter girl’s head and ruffled her way through her adorable hair. “It’s so valuable that you curse me out whenever I do it, Byakko-chan!” The silver-haired woman’s booming laughter grew as her ahoge straightened out to emphasize her mood.

“WELL THAT’S BECAUSE YOU’RE SUCH A NUISANCE THAT YOU KEEP CAUSING TROUBLE FOR ME AND THE OTHERS! WHAT KIND OF EMPLOYEE GOES AROUND BULLYING HER BOSSES INTO DOING FAVORS FOR HER!?” The upset tiger shot back into a terrible mood, barely missing a swipe on the taller woman’s side as she jumped out of the way.

Hiro could feel the sweat pouring down the side of her head, the flow having intensified as her heartbeat slowed. “B-Bosses… So this isn’t just something that she does to Kaneko-sensei..? And, uh, Byakko-sensei, you’re…” She was putting two and two together, which didn’t make her feel much better about the woman that she now worked under.

“The head of the IT Division, that’s what I am.” Byakko quickly shot back, her mood self-regulating after she took another drink from the bottle of milk she pocketed. “Don’t learn too much from her. I don’t want my blood pressure to spike in your presence, like it does whenever she tries something.” The grey-haired tiger said, before turning away from both of them. “Now, IF YOU HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO BOTHER ME WITH, TSURUGI, I suggest that you two continue with your merry day. It’s starting to get late, and I have a report to compose before tonight’s meeting.”

As much as she wanted to depart gracefully, she just couldn’t. Tsukiko’s hands were too fast, as a firm yet brief slap made its way onto the short girl’s butt. “That’s all I wanted, you have a good evenin’, Byakko-chan!” The silver-haired woman laughed as she quickly scooped her fingers into the younger woman’s collar, sprinting off with her before the tiger could do much to stop the two of them.

The grey tiger watched them run off, her face as red as it could be. Not just from anger, but from more intimate emotions as she covered up her wavering lips. “Idiot, you still owe me for that night…” She muttered under her breath, hoping that they could find a better time… One where she wasn’t completely peeved…

What happened between the two of them would remain a secret, one that Hiro wouldn’t be able to pry out of her for a long while…

\---

“T-Tsurugi-sensei, I…”

Hiro and her senior found themselves at a local diner that the latter loved, a place where the two would be safe from the White Tiger’s rage. At least for a little while. When they’d return the morning after, everything would no doubt be better. Approaching the building after what the older woman had done, however? That wasn’t a thing either of them could do.

The diner itself was nothing too impressive, and the two were the only customers despite it being the perfect time for couples to have a bite to eat. In fact, that was the kind of reputation the place had. Newly weds and budding lovers would come for a bite to eat and laugh about their experiences. All while the sizzling grills echoed from the kitchen, giving the place a homely if dirty feel. At least the decor was clean, so it was only the sound that amplified it all.

“Yeah? What’s the matter, Hiro-chan?” The silver-haired woman replied, taking a sip from the milkshake that she had ordered. One of several, alongside the enormous plate full of so many different meats that she looked like she would pop if she ate that much.

The younger of the two took a deep breath as she looked at the woman that was supposed to teach her things, and yet now as the sun was starting to set outside the window, she had learned absolutely nothing. All that she could say for sure was that she had learned how useless the woman was… But even if she wanted to say that, she couldn’t be that direct.

“What was the point of all of this..? Why’d you drag me around the building without teaching me a single skill? Do you want to be punished by Kaneko-sensei for what you’ve done?” She asked, trying to put on as serious a tone as she could. She didn’t want to be the one to criticize somebody else, given her lifestyle prior to this point, but she still had to be the voice of reason.

Tsukiko laughed in response, finishing a chicken leg at the same time. “Are you saying you learned absolutely nothing from going around the divisions today, Hiro-chan? I knew you were inexperienced, but blind’s a new one. Come on, use that brain of yours. The one that probably earned a great grade when you graduated.”

“You say that, Tsurugi-sensei, but I don’t see where you’re getting at. What could I’ve learned from watching the scientists be immoral, the fashion department be wasteful, or the IT department be moody but still human?” Hiro outlined it all, while slowly chewing her way through a plain steak. Her tastes in food weren’t the most extravagant…

The silver-haired woman just smiled at her, not saying a word. She also did her best to avoid making too much noise when she dug into more of her enormous meal, as she had already made it halfway before the younger woman was finished with half of her steak…

“Why do you just look at me like that, Tsurugi-sense-” The younger employee said, only for the gears inside her head to finally grind together. “Wait… Wait, is that all you wanted to teach me, just those three things? Just how those departments worked..?”

Tsukiko nodded a little, clapping in response to the quick thinking on her subordinate’s part. “Not entirely. But because you noticed these things, you’ve started developing something that would make Byakko-chan blush even harder. You’re starting to pick out the horrible parts of the Company, and you can do what you want with that knowledge.” She explained, throwing her hands behind her head. “You’d think that it could happen to more people, but they just kinda let all of this pile up so badly that they think its just how their lives are supposed to be…”

Hiro couldn’t honestly believe what she was hearing, but at the same time it was all truthful. How could she have been so blind, when the answer was right there in front of her? Just thinking about these things for more than a second as a skill at this point, apparently…

“There you go, that’s the look of somebody that’s begun to put two and two together. And that’s all I wanted you to understand, that you have that free choice as part of the community you’re joining.” The older of the two explained, as she finished her meal in record time while sucking down more of that deliciously milky cold goodness. 

A little light lit up inside the black-haired woman’s eyes. She finally got to see a bit of the genius hidden in the rough that was her sensei’s special personality. Which was no doubt the reason why Kaneko-sensei had bothered to pair them together, but… It still astounded her…

“Tsurugi-sensei, I… I’m really…” She muttered, a tear of sincere respect slowly crawling down her cheek. “Thank you.” She bowed her head down, the warmth of her unfinished steak slowly covering her…

Her senior laughed a bit again as she finished her drink. “Consider that a nugget of free wisdom, you’ll get much more where that came from once we really start working side by side.” She said as she got up, dropping the necessary amount of change for a tip before reaching out towards the younger woman. “Now come on. We’ve got a long trip home. And night’s starting to settle, wouldn’t wanna bother some of the local filth when we can avoid it.”

The younger woman nodded as she grabbed her senior’s hand, leaving a perfectly good steak behind as the two made their exit with bright smiles on their faces. 

Smiles that would fade if they knew what came next.

\---

“You live all the way out here? No wonder you’ve been so blushy the entire day, Hiro-chan.”

Tsukiko chimed as they walked along the streets of the Mimoto suburbs. Compared to the inner city, there was barely any activity at night. The only thing keeping the street itself lit were the lights from the lamp posts. Not a single house had their lights on, preferring to turn in early.

Granted, it wasn’t early at all. It was actually getting a little late thanks to the older woman stopping by a few different shops and stalls before they left the main part of the city, ordering sweet after sweet to chow down on. Hiro was lucky that her senior was paying for everything herself, because there was no way that she’d be able to afford all of that. Even with the salary that she was going to get…

“I like it out here, Tsurugi-sensei.” The black-haired woman replied as she walked by her side, instead of trailing behind her like she had done earlier. “It’s nice and quiet. I always liked that when I was studying, and the busses all ran straight to the various facilities I needed. I just didn’t expect there to be none that went to the Atlas Corp building itself.”

Tsukiko shrugged her shoulders, patting the younger woman on the head. “I’m not saying it’s a bad place to live, silly. It just puts your mood into perspective. Imagine having gone all the way to the city center only to be turned away. I’d be in a pissy mood if that was me, and you’ve seen Haruhi-chan and Byakko-chan.” The silver-haired woman assured her, sighing as she looked up at the stars above. “I actually envy you a bit, since you’ve got such a good view of the night sky. Ever since I had to move into that closet, I haven’t had the time to enjoy the sights.”

“...W-Wait, you live in there?!” Hiro shouted in surprise, prompting her senior to laugh at her sudden reaction. “H-How!? That’s… That’s not humane! Can’t you complain!?” She continued, her usual emotional reaction showing how she had come to quickly care about the woman trying to teach her…

Her senior continued ruffling her hair with that big and inviting smile on her face. “I asked for it, you know?” She replied, her eyes still focused on the sky above. “It meant that I could keep an eye on Haruhi-chan and the others, in case something ever went wrong. With how many odd jobs that I do around the building, better to just chill around in a cozy room customized to my liking, instead of heading in to work and it turns out they just need me for 20 minutes. Besides, the building’s got all I need. Whether it’s baths or food, I even get privacy whenever I want to binge something. And if I badger Suzaku-chan enough, she’ll make me new bedsheets. It’s the perfect place for somebody like me to stay.”

“Tsurugi-sensei, you’re weird…” The younger of the two admitted freely, though not without a bit of admiration in her eyes as she slowly pulled the hand off her head. “But thanks again. I don’t think today would’ve been as amazing as it has been if not for you.” Sincerity dripped from her lips as she stood up on her tippy toes, planting a kiss on the silver-haired woman’s cheek…

Now, it was the older woman’s turn to be flustered. Her face filled out completely with shades of red as her ahoge grew spiked and uncertain. “A-Aha, y-yeah, amazing, totally. G-Glad to hear it, Hiro-chan!” For all of her showboating and casual demeanor, she was still vulnerable. And her subordinate just found her weak spot.

Hiro smiled from ear to ear as she slowly stepped away from her senior, heart aflutter as she really did enjoy today. But at the same time, she could feel a shiver running up her spine. But… Why would she feel so cold? There wasn’t anybody around to do bad stuff, right?

That feeling would very quickly prove to be far too accurate, as the lights above the two short circuited, blanketing the area around them in absolute darkness. A laugh echoed around them, as that very same darkness started suffocating their sight, the lights blowing out across the entire neighborhood…

“Well well well. What do I have here?” An elegant yet mocking tone echoed from above them, a dripping sound echoing around them. “Two beautiful ladies, who dare to show affection towards somebody that isn’t their fair lady? For shame, I say, for shame!” The haughty sounding woman cried out, the dripping turning into a proper splash…

Tsukiko was quick on her feet, locking onto the silhouette of her subordinate in the darkness as she tried to reach for her, only for her arm to get stuck inside something. A solid object… or rather, a solid person. But only partially so, as her arm was sticking through it without moving an inch further. “What in the…”

Upon looking up at the figure, she was greeted by quite the sight. A faceless creature, clad entirely from top to bottom in shiny black latex, the moon shimmering on its surface. It was clear that it was feminine, given the breasts that hung off her chest, but that didn’t mean that it was human. It just stood there, ‘staring’ down at her with its covered eye sockets.

As she struggled to get her arm free, more of those strange female figures approached her, each of them having spawned from a droplet of latex that had been released from the woman above her. She hadn’t heard of a Monster that was able to spawn Latex minions, and these didn’t seem to be completely artificial. Still, even with her arm stuck inside one of them, she didn’t give up…

“Good, my darlings. Keep her in place while I take care of the much cuter lady. The one who dared kiss her and show affection towards somebody beyond my visage.” The mysterious female figure declared, the sound of splashes and droplets intensifying as the figure drew closer to the ground. And the moon above, serving as the only light in the darkness that threatened to encroach upon them, would illuminate her figure.

Standing in the middle of the street was a woman clad in a dress that reached all the way from her breasts all the way down to her ankles, with such volume that it was impossible to properly tell how thick it naturally was and how much of it was extra filling. It didn’t help that every inch was made out of the same latex that the creatures were made out of, giving her a shiny look when the moon shone its light down on her. The main difference between her and the minions at her beck and call was the outline of proper eyes and lips on her face, as well as latex textured locks of hair that reached down below her shoulders. A lady made entirely out of latex, in every sense of the word…

Hiro could feel the dread running down her back as she watched the literal latex woman approach her, a wicked smile outlined on that black surface. “S-Stay back! STAY BACK!” Her senior couldn’t help her, stuck in between the crowd of minions. All the young woman could do was scurry backward, feeling the dread filling her heart.

“You, little lady. You would do nicely, as one of my wonderful darlings. Covered from head to toe in nothing but latex, letting it consume you and transform you into an adorably obedient toy.” The monsterous woman, whose dress was dripping at the ends with that black liquid, took gentle steps towards her prey. Her heels clacked against the ground, emphasizing her pursuit as her grin grew wider.

The new employee gasped as she lost her footing, her heels finally giving way as they cracked from one false move. She fell onto her butt, collapsing on the grass behind her. “S-STOP!” She screamed in fear, even as that woman drew close enough to breathe upon her. She covered up her face, praying for somebody to save her…

Her hopes went unanswered, her heart being laid bare as the monster laid her hand upon the girl’s cheek. The liquid surface of the dominant’s pawn quickly spread across her submissive’s face and body, sinking in as it deprived her of air. Of sight. Of control. It spread so fast that her white suit disappeared in mere moments, the substance squeezing down on her body until she gave in…

She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t see. She couldn’t even move. And the more that latex tightened on her, the less she could think. Her thoughts were being broken into simple words, and they were all being replaced. Obey. Submit. Listen. Obey. Submit. Listen. Obey. Submit. Listen.

Obey. Submit. Listen.

Hiro’s body went limp as the mantra continued, her mind being turned into nothing more than a prison that kept blasting it into her soul. If this continued, she would rise back to her feet, and the woman’s ego would be forever encased in that blackened liquid that had consumed her…

“Damnit! DAMNIT!” Tsukiko cried out as she tried to wrestle her arm free from its prison inside the latex-filled minion, gritting her teeth. She had to do something, otherwise… Otherwise she’d… She’d let her friend fall! She couldn’t live with herself if she let that happen!

Just as all hope seems lost, a golden shimmer broke through the darkness. The latex minion keeping the silver-haired woman’s arm trapped within it was knocked aside, freeing that very same arm as a piece of jewelry found its way into the woman’s hand…

The minions around her started making some sort of shrill noise, each of them expanding and opening up to reveal latex tendrils, each trying to grab away at the woman. But she didn’t notice, not as her eyes were focused on the bracelet that had appeared in her hand…

“Use it. Save her.” A voice, stern yet supportive, echoed through Tsukiko’s head. She didn’t understand what the thing in her hand was, but she understood what she had to do. Without hesitating, she slipped it onto her wrist and closed her eyes.

Energy burst forth from her, knocking away the creatures that tried to attack while bringing light back to the lamp posts that had been broken. All while the silver-haired woman could feel pain spiking its way through her body, her teeth gritting as it felt like her very nerves were being burnt out.

What was the thing she used? How could it make her feel this much pain? Was it even safe to use? She honestly didn’t care about those questions, even as they drifted through her mind. There was just one thing that ran through, one that kept her focused on the task at hand.

Hiro was in danger. And she was going to save her, whether or not it hurt! She would fight through the pain until she was safe, until that monster that tried to turn her into nothing more than a latex slave had disappeared! And then she’d hold her in her arms and watch her smile again!

Tsukiko stepped forward, the energy radiating off her as her veins visibly turned two colors. The ones on her right turned a bright silver. Those on her left turned a deep dark black. They gathered on her face, the two colors colliding and shaping out a crescent moon on her face, as she clenched her fist.

“What are you..?” The latex-covered monster muttered, an incredulous expression on her face as she drew back from the girl, reaching a hand towards the parasol she carried on her hip. She was ready to defend herself against the woman, but it wouldn’t matter…

Not when that golden bracelet transformed, wrapping around the woman’s waist in the shape of a belt with the same colors as the ones in her veins. The centerpiece shone bright with black and silver melting together into a new color, as the wearer shouted out with the power in her heart laid bare.

“HENSHIN!”

Black and silver energies swirled around the silver-haired woman, collapsing upon her. The half of her body with the silver veins got covered in the black, the other in the silver as they both clenched tight around her, keeping it from tearing itself apart. In turn, it would serve as a second layer of skin to keep her protected.

Steam rushed out between the crevices, her breathing growing heavy as the opposite halves leaked into one another. The silver leaked into the outlines of her veins on the black side and vice versa, bringing highlights to both sides, while the colors crept up and around her uncovered head, forming a helmet.

A helmet barely illuminated by the bright red lights in her eyes, the otherwise black headwear adorned with a crescent moon with the points facing downward, completing her look as she clenched her fists. This armor made no sense if she had to be honest, but she had to act. Otherwise..!

"Hang on, Hiro-chan!" Tsukiko shouted as she dove straight ahead, her fist illuminating the darkness around her. She was going to beat that monster to a pulp and free her friend, no matter what!

The monster dripping with latex scoffed as she jumped back, snapping her fingers mid-jump. “Darlings! Deal with this foul woman! She is not allowed to lay a finger on my latest masterpiece, understand!?” She cried out, and the shambling minions quickly encroached upon the armored woman.

Not like she was going to let a bunch of nobodies with latex insides stop her. She felt the power coalescing into her fist, her silver veins illuminating as she clenched her blackened hand. As soon as one of them tried to grab away at her, she slammed that very same hand into the creature, the light from her body transferring straight into the creature…

Causing the latex to melt off her, revealing a woman who collapsed onto the ground below, harmless and safe despite the blow inflicted upon her. “So she’s not the only one you turned!” Tsukiko quickly shouted as she cracked her knuckle, transferring the energy from one side of her into the other as she launched another two mooks into the air with an uppercut, freeing them from their latex prison as well.

“How!? How are you able to… HOW?!” The mistress of the latex-covered minions cried out in disbelief, stunned by the sudden turn of events. Especially as the armored woman decimated each and every minion around her with a mixture of swift blows from her hands or sweeping kicks, each illuminating the night with trails of black and silver energy…

The armored woman brushed a thumb past her helmet as she grinned. “I don’t know! But I’m going to stop you, whether or not I know!” She cried out, punching her fists together once more to illuminate both sides of her armor. She was ready to beat the ever-loving snot out of this thing in front of her…

Her enemy wasn’t about to take this lying down, quickly twirling her very wet looking parasol. In mere moments, more of those creatures arose from the puddles left on the ground. Just how many victims had she claimed? It wasn’t clear, but it didn’t matter either. “GO! KILL HER! DESTROY HER AND LEAVE HER REMAINS FOR THE HOUNDS TO DEVOUR!” She had lost her nerve…

Tsukiko grinned underneath her helmet. Sure, there were even more of those creatures, and she couldn’t take out all of them just with her kicks and her punches. But that wouldn’t stop her, not when this much energy rushed through her. She just needed the right thing to break them all free from their prisons.

A shock rushed through her, but this one was harmless, merely making her body tingle. It still drew her eyes down towards the source, revealed to be the ‘gem’ on the middle of her belt. The swirling mess of silver and black, which now shined and shimmered with power…

She put her hand down to the gem and reached inside, grinning as she tugged outward. Something powerful brimmed in her hands, something that made the eyes underneath her helmet shine just as brightly as her armor.

It was a blade. A simple one with a silver handle and a multicolored blade, but one with just enough flair. It didn’t come with any sort of sheath or anything, it was a manifestation of the power she now wielded. And as the blade shimmered with that very same color as the rest of her armor, she knew what she could do.

Tsukiko spun the handle around as she held it with a reverse grip, letting the power flare up as it covered the blade completely. “Shadow Slash!” She cried out dramatically as she swung, the energy flying off as it pierced through the creatures trying to approach her, doing nothing to them as it tapered off right before making contact with the latex-dressed villainess…

Only for all of them to let out shrieks as their latex prisons were torn to shreds, the black substance disappearing into the night as they all collapsed, leaving the woman that had transformed them all utterly defenseless. “This… THIS CAN’T BE! YOU’RE A HUMAN! YOU’RE NOTHING!” She screamed in defiance, unable to accept this defeat.

The armored woman didn’t listen, twirling her blade around one more time as she tossed it like a javelin, the tip colliding with the latex-covered woman’s chest as it burst into energy that restrained her, wrapping around her just like the substance she had used to immobilize everyone. 

“I’m what they need!” Tsukiko shouted out as she jumped into the air, all of the energy in her armor gathering in her feet. It propelled her forward as she spun around in the air, feet pointed straight towards the villain as she cried out with gusto.

“SHADOW KICK!”

As soon as her foot made contact, the latex that covered the woman disintegrated, turning into nothing more than specks of light. No matter how thick it had been, it all vanished. Whether it was the fabric, the droplets that fell off it, or the stuff that had sinked all the way into her heart. It all disappeared when faced with the force from that kick, freeing the woman that had corrupted everyone else…

The former villain’s screams were stifled as the latex left her face, causing her to collapse just like everyone else she had corrupted. Only a tired expression remained, like she had been awake for so long. And only now, she was allowed to rest. Even if it was in the middle of the street with faulty lights shining down on her.

Hiro slowly blinked as the latex melted off her, as her thoughts hadn’t quite gotten back to normal. All she could do was focus on the light in front of her, the black and silver light that shone through the darkness that had nearly consumed her.

“Glad to see you’re okay, Hiro-chan.” The voice of Tsukiko echoed through the helmet, as the armor disappeared in a flash of silver light, a warm smile on her senior’s face. “You are okay, yeah? No bad thoughts scrambling around inside your head or anything?”

The younger woman slowly nodded, coughing a little as dissolving specks of latex loosened from her throat. “What… What was that, Tsurugi-sensei..?” She asked very weakly, shivering all over as the process of her body being cured like this took some time.

“I dunno!” The silver-haired woman laughed reassuringly, all while she carried the girl down the street. She’d have to call Atlas Corp to clean up the mess she left behind later. “I just know that I managed to save you with that power. Kinda came from the shadows, so… How about I call it Shadow? Seems like a neat name, huh?”

Hiro just stared at her with a mixture of ‘that is the dumbest thing I have heard today’ and ‘my body still hurts’ on her face, before she closed her eyes and smiled, letting both of those emotions wash away. “It sounds just fine for somebody like you, Tsurugi-sensei…”

Tsukiko laughed a bit more, happiness pouring through her. She had done it. She had saved her new friend. She still didn’t know how that belt had appeared and helped her transform, but it was a lifesaver for sure.

Little did she know, that belt would bring her way more trouble than it was worth, as a golden sheen flashed through the darkness on the rooftops above…

\---

“Ohohoho! What a fun little thing that’s entered our game! Isn’t that right, D’Or?”

In the depths of the city, in a little room that could barely be described as cozy, were two strange individuals. Not strange because they were underground in a lousy room, but strange because of how they were dressed.

One of the two was a blonde girl wearing a red dress that showed off her body. Not quite as much as a proper seductress would, but enough to distract anybody that might want to take a look at her hips or her breasts, as both stood out thanks to the length of her skirt and the width of the cloth that hid her bosom.

The other preferred to dress more conservatively, wearing a wide-rimmed black hat that neatly covered most of her brown hair and allowed the rest to pour down her shoulder. Combine that with a comfortable green sweater and long stockings that kept her warm, and she seemed… far too contrasting, compared to the girl at her side. Especially when taking her more mature body into account.

“I wouldn’t call this a game, Rose.” The older woman said, her soft voice echoing around in the little room. “But yes, what an individual. Wielding the power of the Jõtai like she was a natural. She didn’t even need to implement any extra elements either, fascinating…” She mused…

Their little conversation was broken up as the door to the room opened, revealing a woman with a black undersuit and golden armor pieces, not unlike the woman that the two were talking about. Though the power she exuded was much stronger, given the heat radiating off her body.

“She exceeded my expectations.” The woman’s voice was filtered by her helmet as she walked over to her companions, adjusting the golden gauntlet around her arm. “I expected her to require this, but…” She paused, before shaking her head. “Never mind. What else do you require, milady?”

D’Or, the woman clearly in charge of the entire operation, stood up with a smile on her lips. “I don’t require anything from you, nor from Rose. All I want is for you to do what you need to. You’re comfortable with your positions in your life, aren’t you?” She chimed, with both the armored woman and the girl nodding in unison. “Good. Then do as you wish. That’s all I ask.”

“Then let me try her next, D’Or!” The blonde girl chimed as she sprung up, licking her lips as her crimson eyes lit up, becoming the brightest source of light in the room. “I’ll show her intimacy beyond her wildest dreams, and make sure that she deserves to wield that power. You’ll see!”

Her friend nodded, the golden-armored woman looking away as she seemed to adjust the collar of her outfit. “Test her abilities as much as you can. Then we shall see if she’s a potential threat to our plans.” She muttered, her analytical and stern statements contrasting those of her allies.

“Leave it to me, the cutest Baroness in the entire world!” Rose giggled as she winked, bats flooding out from under her skirt as she grinned from ear to ear. “All I need is a little volunteer, and I’ll find one very soon…”

With these three mysterious villains watching over them, Tsukiko and Hiro’s lives were about to get a lot more interesting.


End file.
